Elastic front cap



Jan. 27, 1959 T. L. BAILEY ELASTIC FRONT CAP Filed March 30, 1956 INVENTOR Ykeodore L. Bal

1 ATTORNEY United States. PatentO 2,870,450' ELASTIC FRONT- CAP Theodore Bailey, Natiek; Mass, assignorto the-United States" of Americaas-repr'esented by" the Secietary'of the Army Application March 30,1956, Serial No. 575,293" 4 Claims. (Cl; 2-197) (Granted under Title 35, .U: S. Code-(1952), sec. 266') The invention described-herein,.if patented,-. may be manufactured and used' by" or fo'r'the Government for governmental purposes, with'outthe payment to me of any, royalty thereon.

The invention relates to head coverings and is'par'ticularly. concerned'with" visored'caps of the. type which include elastic means which permit one size ofIc'apAo'fit anumber of hea'ds' of dilferent'size.

The conventional cap of' this'sort locates the elastic meansat thev rear of the cap because of the ir'ihe'reu't inelastici'tyof the' 'vis o r' and also because the elastim'earis mammary-re uire leats or gatherings in the cap which areless unsightl if'loca'tedat'tne rear: I

However, it has long been known that the pressure of the visor on the forehead is a major cause of discomfort in the wearing of visored caps and that such discomfort is not alleviated by rearwardly located elastic means.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved cap of the class described which includes an elastic mount for the visor thereof.

A further object is to provide such a cap wherein said crown includes elastic inserts juxtaposed to opposite sides of said visor.

A further object is to provide an improved cap of the class described which includes a relatively large front insert of elastic material, such insert extending beyond the opposite sides of the visor.

A further object of the invention is to provide for novel front stay mounting means in combination with elastic inserts for caps of this type.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements thereof, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view looking from above of one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a like view taken from below;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the front portion of this form of the invention;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are views like Figures 3 and 4, respectively, but showing a modified form of front stay mount; and

Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken respectively on the planes of the lines 77 and 8-8 of Figure 6.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, and referring at first to Figures 1-4 inclusive, 10 designates generally a cap according to the invention. In the embodiment illustrated, the cap 10 includes a cap body which comprises a crown piece 11, a side wall 12 depend- 2,870,450 Patented Jana-2 1, I959 sidewall 12 is formedwitli'a' relativflly idef' andpr'er}: eralily'arciiate" notch 14w'hich isfilld with-an elastic insert 15 of any suitable elastic material. The elastic in'sert l's includes a" lower" edge 16"whi'ch" comprises a continuationof'the lower' edge 17' of the side wall The'visor13 is secured in -any suitableand'well know manner "to tlfe central'portion of the lower edge 16 of the: insert"15:' 'A's'fthe" insert 15 is widerthairthe visor 13;" side portions" 18 of the insert are located on opposite sides" of the"visorjand 'render it forwardly yielding re a tive to the inelastic side wa'll'12 As thejentir 'irise'itl's is'pr'efe rably formedofielas'ticmaterial, it cooperates with he sid; oruons -18**thereefinme1 toth'e forehead. Thus,thecap' lllisr'e'ad'i yl wear on hea s ofvaii'oussizes'witlr a'niaxirnurnofcorrl-f' fort injt he visor-area;

Tdinsu're" a smart "apptearaneein= a cap offthie'typ illustrated, although obviously unnecessary when" the ves: tion is applied to 'other'typ'es"of c'a'p,iit"is' desi'rabltd' provideafr'on'tstay now to he'descri'hed; Oneforin'of stay andmotin't tor the" same" is illustrated-i iir'Figmres- 1-"4. As"seeninfFigurjei 3, theinsert"15is"formed"oE inner'and outer plieS19"?a'ndIt) which are not connected togetlfefexceptat" their" edges. A" strip ofa'ny siii'taibl' sheet" material" forms a "stay "p'o'clft {an evjvea ti the inner p'l'y '1'9 or the" insert 15 eenna'n'y and reai'Wali'dfy thereof by the spaced and vertical rows of stitching 22. The stitching 22 does not penetrate the front ply 20 of the insert 15 so that the presence of the stay pocket 21 is not apparent from the outside. The pocket 21 is open at the top and slidably receives therein any suitable stiffening stay 23 which supports the front of the cap in a manner readily understood.

Figures 5-8, inclusive, illustrate a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the stay pocket is not connected to either ply of the elastic insert. In this form of the invention, the cap 30 is similar to the cap 10 and includes a crown piece 31, side wall 32, visor 33 togetherwith an elastic insert 35 which fills the notch 34 in the side wall. Here, these parts are generally the same except that the visor 33 includes the usual upper and lower plies 36 and 37, Figure 7. The plies 36 and superimposed strips 38 and 39 which are 37 include integral upward extensions in the form of located centrally of the rear edge of the visor. The side edges of the strips 38 and 39 are sewed together as at 40 to form an upwardly opening pocket41 for the lower end of the stay 42. A downwardly opening pocket 43 for the upper end of the stay 42 comprises a patch of material having its side edges sewed as at 44 to the wall 32 above the insert 35. The stay 42 is applied to or removed from the pockets 41 and 43 by being rearwardly bowed as indicated in broken lines, Figure 5. Thus, both plies 45 and 46 of the insert 35 are free of the stay 42 and its pockets.

It should be understood that where the invention is applied to caps wherein a front stay is either not needed or not desired, the stays and pockets therefor may be omitted.

While there has been shown and described what are now thought to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the precise structures shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A cap comprising a crown, an upright cylindrical side wall and a visor, said cylindrical side wall comprising an inelastic portion provided with an arcuate cut-out at the front thereof and an arcuate insert of circumferentially stretchable elastic material filling said cut- 2 w) cut and attached to the arcuate edge thereof, said cut-out and elastic insert extending through less than one-half the circumference of the side wall, means for attaching the visor to the free edge of the elastic insert intermediate the ends thereof, said insert being of somewhat greater length than the Width of the visor so as to extend slightly beyond the ends thereof and impart adjustability to the cap.

2. A cap comprising a crown, an upright cylindrical side wall and a visor, said cylindrical side wall comprising an inelastic portion provided with an arcuate cut-out at the front thereof and an arcuate insert of circumferentially stretchable elastic material filling said cut-out and attached to the arcuate edge thereof, said cut-out and elastic insert extending through less than one-half the circumference of the side wall, means for attaching the visor to the free edge of the elastic insert intermediate the ends thereof, said insert being of somewhat greater length than the Width of the visor so as to extend slightly beyond the ends thereof and impart adjustability to the cap, and a stifiening stay mounted on said insert.

3. A cap comprising a crown, an upright cylindrical side Wall and a visor, said cylindrical side wall comprising an inelastic portion provided with an arcuate cutout at the front thereof and an arcuate insert of circumferentially stretchable two-ply elastic material filling said cut-out and attached to the arcuate edge thereof, said cut-out and elastic insert extending through less than onehalf the circumference of the side wall, means for attach.- ing the visor to the free edge of the elastic insert intermediate the ends thereof and impart adjustability to the 4: cap, and means for mounting a stiffening stay on the inner ply of elastic material.

4. A cap comprising a crown, an upright cylindrical side wall and a visor, said cylindrical side wall comprising an inelastic portion provided with an arcuate cut-out at the front thereof and an arcuate insert of circumferentially stretchable two-ply elastic material filling said cut-out and attached to the arcuate edge thereof, said cut-out and elastic insert extending through less than onehalf the circumference of the side wall, means for attaching the visor to the free edge of the elastic insert intermediate the ends thereof, said insert being of somewhat greater length than the width of the visor so as to extend slightly beyond the ends thereof and impart adjustability to the cap, a narrow strip of material attached to the inner ply of elastic material to extend vertically thereof and provide a pocket open at its upper end, and a stiffening stay mounted in the pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 357,418 Seldner Feb. 8, 1887 911,126 Harrison et al. Feb. 2, 1909 1,267,799 Perlman et al. May 28, 1918 1,502,202 Josephs July 22, 1924 1,717,169 Pekowsky June 11, 1929 2,286,202 Fischer June 16, 1942 2,520,643 Lesser Aug. 29, 1950 2,677,827 Lockhart May 11, 1954 2,803,016 Stevens Aug. 20, 1957 

